SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The LIU Brooklyn softball team earned a 4-1 victory over Bryant in the first game of a Northeast Conference doubleheader on Sunday, but dropped a 5-1 decision in the nightcap to fall to 13-23 overall and 2-2 in league play. Sophomore Erynn Sobieski struck out nine batters in a complete-game win in the first game of the day, and allowed just one earned run in 11.0 innings pitched overall.

In the first game of the twinbill, each offense went down in order over the first two innings before the Blackbirds got on the board in the top of the third. Senior Alyssa Gospodarek led off with a ringing double to the base of the left-field wall, then moved to third on a single from junior Kayla Gloady. Gloady promptly stole second and junior Karlie Brady followed with a bunt base hit to load the bases with nobody out.

Senior Whitney West worked a run-scoring walk that pushed home pinch runner Alyssa Lanktree-Dotson to put the score at 1-0. Following a fielder's choice that cut down Gloady trying to score at home, sophomore Victoria Zamora was hit by a pitch to force home another run and put the score at 2-0. Celinna Cosio followed with a solid single through the left side to put the runners in motion again and bump the margin to 3-0, and a fielder's choice from junior Kylie Mulholland boosted the LIU Brooklyn lead to 4-0.

The four-run cushion was more than enough for Sobieski, who retired the first 10 batters she faced before back-to-back singles by the Bulldogs put a pair on with one out in the fourth. Facing the cleanup hitter Maritza Martinez, Sobieski induced a ground ball and then struck out the following batter to end the inning.

From there, Sobieski continued to confound Bryant from the circle, striking out two more batters in a perfect fifth inning then closing out the sixth with another punchout. In the seventh, a leadoff home run from Bryant's Elle Madsen narrowed the margin to 4-1, and a double from Taylor Burger continued the rally. A popout to the middle infield accounted for the first out, and an outfield assist from senior Ariana Lopez cut down a runner at third for the second out. Sobieski got a ground ball to close out the game-one victory for the Blackbirds.

LIU threatened to jump out to an early lead in the second contest, as West opened the first inning with a double to the gap in left-centerfield. An error put a pair on with nobody out, but Bryant starter Hayley Bottino wiggled out of trouble. The Blackbirds also put a pair on in the second inning, as Gloady singled and freshman Sam Offenback worked a walk to put two on for West. The Blackbirds' all-time hits leader lined a ball that appeared destined for the left-centerfield gap again, but a diving play by Haylee Haas closed out the inning.

In the bottom of the second, Bryant put two in scoring position with just one out, and an error on the Blackbirds allowed both runs to score. Faced with a runner on third with nobody out, freshman Tallie Woodson limited the damage to just two runs with a ground out and line out.

Burger led off the third inning with a solo home run to nudge the Bulldogs further in front, 3-0, before the Blackbirds made a run-scoring rally in the top of the fourth. Mulholland and Vazquez each singled to start the inning, and Gospodarek lofted a fly ball into left that scored Mulholland on a sacrifice fly to put the score at 3-1.

But another error on LIU Brooklyn proved costly the following frame, as with nobody on and one out a miscue allowed a runner to reach. Following a sacrifice bunt, Burger came through again with her second round tripper of the contest to extend Bryant's lead to 5-1.

LIU's best chance for a comeback came in the sixth, when Cosio doubled to left and Mulholland blooped a single into center to put runners on the corners with nobody out. With one out and runners on second and third, it appeared that Gospodarek had come through with a run-scoring base hit down the left-field line. But the home plate umpire ruled the ball foul, and Bryant's pitcher Madsen registered the final two outs of the inning without surrendering a run. Madsen produced a 1-2-3 seventh inning to pick up her second victory of the year in the circle.

LIU Brooklyn will step out of conference for a contest at Saint Joseph's on Wednesday, April 13. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.